Rail-joint



(No Model.)

o, TATAGG, Jr.

- RAIL JOI-NT.

Patented Dot. 3. 1,893.

lll

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES-T. STAGG, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of lLetters Patent No. 506,082, dated October3, 1893. Application tiled March 3l, 1893. Seria-l No. 468,509. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, CHARLES T. STAGG, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of PhiladelphiaJ and State ofPennsylvania,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inRail-Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription. Y

My invention relates to certain improvements in rail joints and has forits object the construction of a joint of the bridge type, which may bereadily clamped on the rail and when so placed will align and hold theends of the rails in proper position.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of the twosections of my improved joint detached. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalelevation on the line -:r Fig. 2 of a rail joint Vconstructed inaccordance with my invention and illustrating it in position on a rail.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the rail removed. Fig. 4 is asectional elevation on the line y-y of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a detachedperspective View of the locking key employed for holding the parts ofthe joint in position.

The rail joint is made in two sections, A, B, of such shape as to tittogether beneath the bottom flange of the rail, and each section isprovided with a projecting lip, a, adapted to extend over the edge ofthe rail flange as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The sections A and Beach have two projecting portions, d, d and e, respectively, withrounded peripheral faces and two recesses with similarly rounded faces,for the reception of the projecting portions of the opposite sections;the projections of the one being adapted to lit within the recesses ofVthe other and vice versa. The two portions thus interlocked are confinedby keys, H, of a character more clearly shown in Fig. 5. Referring tothe section, A, d, d', represent projections extending from the baseportion and situated in different horizontal and Vertical planes, theprojection, d, being immediately beneath and supporting the lower flangeof the rail and the projection, d', being of a similar contour butsituated immediately below a recess, d3, while immediately below theprojection, d, is a similarly shaped recess, d4. The section, B, isprovided with similar pro- A, and the projection, e', extends within therecess, d4, while the recesses, e3, and e4, are adapted respectively toreceive the projection, d and d', of the section, A.

The sections A and B are provided with elongated openings, g,'g, whichregister or nearly register when the parts are fitted to- 'gether andthrough these openings are inserted locking keys, H, H of a constructionmore clearly shown in Fig. 5 and comprising an elongated head, h, arectangular shank, h', and a rectangular end portion, h2, to which anoperating tool may be applied. The key is inserted through the openingfrom below; the head, h, being presented to the opening with its longerdiameter in line with the longer diameter of the opening and, when thelower langeof the rail is reached, the shank Q f the key is turnedaxially until the widest portion of said shank is at a right angle tothe longer diameter of the opening, the upper surfaces of theprojections, d e, being recessed at t' to receive the head, g, andpermit the'turning of the key. When the key has reached this lockingposition further movement is prevented by the engagement of the headwith the end of the recess and the key cannot be moved from placeaccidentally owing to the sharp edges, j, formed at the junction of thevarious sides of the rectangular shank, h.

The rail joint herein described is adapted to be placed on the rail endsbetween two ties but, if desired, may be of a sufcient length to restupon such ties. The contour of the projections and recesses may bealtered, if desired, in any suitable manner and it will be understoodthat I do not limit my invention to the particular form described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a rail joint, of the two oppositely shaped andinterlocking sections, each section having inwardly protruding portionsand recesses on dilferent horizontal levels, said sections adapted toengage into each other beneath the bottom `flange of the rail and lipfor confining the flanges of the rail to the top of the joint, andprovided with vertically arranged key receiving openings, and a lockingkey adapted to be placed in position in said openings from beneath thejoint, substantially as specied.

2. The combination, in a rail joint, of the two opposite sections havingrecesses in different horizontal aud vertical. planes, projectingportions on each section adapted to fit within such recesses and eachprovided with an elongated opening, a key having a rectangular shankadapted to eacl of such openings, and elongated heads on said keysadapted to recesses in the projecting portions of the sections and astop at the end of each recess to limit the movement of said head,substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a rail joint, of two opposite sections adapted totit together, projecting lips on each section adapted to engage with thebottom flange of the rail, each section being provided with openings asg, g', and recesses, e', a locking key having a rect angular shankadapted to such openings whereby on the turning of the key the lips willbe forced into intimate contact with the rail flange, substantially asspecified.

4. The combination, in a rail joint, of two oppositely shaped andinterlocking sections having longitudinally disposed anges for engagingthe ange of the rail and each section having inwardly protrudingportions and recesses on dierent horizontal levels and at differentportions of the sections, said protruding portions of each sectionadapted to engage and register in the oppositely disposed recess of theopposite section, oblong, vertically disposed recesses provided in eachprotruding portion adapted to register with each other when the sectionsare adjusted together in position, a headed oblong key in cross sectionprovided through the orifices of each of the protruding sections forlocking said sections together upon the rail, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, in a rail joint, of the two oppositely shapedinterlocking sections A and B, each section having the inwardlyprotruding portions, d, d', e., e', respectively and recesses, d3, andd4, and e3, e4, respectively, said recesses adapted to receive theprotruding portion of the opposite section, vertically disposed oblongorifices, g, g', provided through said sections, locking keys, H, H,secured in said orifices having a rectangular shank, h elongated head,h, and key, h2,.recess, z', provided in the upper portion of the plates,d, e,for receiving and engaging the head, h, of the said key,longitudinal lips,.a, provided upon upper surface of said sectionsfoi'engaging the base of the rail, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the two sections hav ing flange engaging lips andeach provided with registering openings, of a locking key comprising anelongated head portion, a shank of rectangular form and a rectangularend portion to which an operating tool may be applied, substantially asspecified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March,A. D. 1893.

CHARLES T. STAGG, JR.

Witnesses:

H. GORDON McCoUCH, JNO. E. PARKER.

